The Branson Scenic Railway is a heritage railroad in Branson, Missouri. The Ozark Zephyr, Branson Scenic Railway's historic zephyr train, departs from an old depot in downtown Branson and operates in the scenic Ozark Mountains for an approximate 40 mi round trip. As the underlying rail lines are owned by the Missouri and Northern Arkansas Railroad (MNA) and are still in use as an active railroad, MNA traffic determines whether a particular trip will operate northbound from Branson to Galena, Missouri, or southbound from Branson to the Barren Fork Trestle in Arkansas.

Equipment

The railroad operates a variety of vintage railroad equipment, including two dome cars, a dining car, and several coaches built by the Budd Company. Motive Power: Passenger Cars:

History

The railroad was originally built as the White River Railway between 1902 and 1905. Because of the rugged terrain of the Ozarks, a number of trestles and tunnels were required in order to create a level railroad grade. The lines later became part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and in 1992 were sold to MNA. In early 2024, Branson Scenic Railway was sold to American Heritage Railways, a new operator with intentions to expand the railway's offerings and operations. This was finalized as Alan Kamp, Illa Kamp and Thomas Johnson, the original founders and owners of the railway, decided to retire. American Heritage Railways is based in Durango, Colorado and owns the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad based in Colorado and the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad based in North Carolina.